Encore (Eminem album)

Encore
The cover features Eminem on stage, bowing before an audience. Above the image is the album title.
Studio album by
Eminem
ReleasedNovember 12, 2004
Studio
  • 54 Sound (Ferndale, Michigan)
  • Can-Am (Tarzana, California)
  • Trans Continental (Orlando, Florida)
Genre
Length
  • 76:53
  • 89:00 (deluxe edition)
Label
Producer
Eminem chronology
The Eminem Show
(2002) 		Encore
(2004) 		Curtain Call: The Hits
(2005)
Alternative cover
Collector's Edition cover art
Collector's Edition cover art
Singles from Encore
  1. "Just Lose It"
    Released: September 27, 2004[1]
  2. "Encore"
    Released: November 9, 2004
  3. "Like Toy Soldiers"
    Released: March 15, 2005[2]
  4. "Mockingbird"
    Released: April 25, 2005
  5. "Ass Like That"
    Released: June 7, 2005

Encore is the fifth studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on November 12, 2004, through Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. As reflected in its title and cover art, the album was originally set to be Eminem's final studio album.[3] Its lyrical themes include Eminem's criticism of the 43rd U.S. president, George W. Bush, parodies of Michael Jackson and Christopher Reeve, and Eminem's feud with Benzino and Ja Rule. Overall, the album features more comedic themes and lyrics than his previous albums.[4]

Encore was met with mixed to positive reviews, with most of the second half being heavily criticized, though "Mockingbird" and "Like Toy Soldiers" were particularly highly praised and retrospectively have been ranked as some of Eminem's best songs. The album has sold 11 million copies worldwide and was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 17, 2004.

"Christopher Reeves" was a song originally intended to be on the album, but was cut after its namesake, Superman film actor Christopher Reeve, died of heart failure on October 10, 2004, a month prior to the album's release. The song was later reworked and released under the title "Brand New Dance" on Eminem's twelfth studio album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).[5]

  1. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1574. September 24, 2004. p. 21. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  2. ^ "Like Toy Soldiers – Eminem". AllMusic.
  3. ^ NK (October 16, 2019). ""Encore": 11 Facts About Eminem's 5th Album". Eminem.Pro – the biggest and most trusted source of Eminem. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  4. ^ "All 8 of Eminem's Albums Ranked". Billboard. December 19, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  5. ^ Eminem – Guilty Conscience 2, retrieved July 12, 2024